


Library AU

by clumsyghost



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies)
Genre: AU, Fluff, Human AU, Library AU, M/M, jedtavius secret night guardian 2k19
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:09:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21937249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clumsyghost/pseuds/clumsyghost
Summary: Octavius volunteers at the local public library on his days off. Jed is a disaster every day.
Relationships: Jedediah & Octavius (Night at the Museum), Jedediah/Octavius (Night at the Museum)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 138





	Library AU

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WhatWentWrongWithWalter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhatWentWrongWithWalter/gifts).



December at the library was the second busiest time of the year and definitely the most colorful season. Octavius rather preferred the summer reading programs over the winter holidays. No matter when his volunteer shift ended, the weather outdoors was usually dark and gloomy. Inside the library, however, everything smelled faintly of cinnamon and dessert. Festive decorations spilled from every desk, billboard, and display. All would be cozy if not for the heightened anxiety the general public, not to mention the librarians, developed towards the end of each year. This made his duty as Reference Librarian much more interesting. In addition to fielding the every-day questions (Did the library have any copies of Good Omens available? How does one download Netflix?), he would receive requests for gift giving advice and research on not so cleverly disguised term paper topics. Octavius didn’t mind; volunteering at the library was usually the highlight of his week.

“Octavius!”

“Mr. Daley.” Octavius glanced up from his computer as the man approached his desk. He had been assisting the branch manager for nearly three years, but he could not bring himself to call his kinda-boss by his first name.

“Octavius,” Larry repeated as he caught his breath, “We need help! Mr. Bakunawa can’t make today’s event!”

For a moment, Octavius stared blankly at Larry before he recalled the old, friendly dog that decidedly did not live up to his mythological name. The Youth Services department of the library frequently held a program where kids could sign up to read to an older dog or puppy, boosting read-aloud skills while giving the pooch attention. The program was a big hit, but not one that Octavius was typically involved with at any stage. He preferred to stay within the references or adult services.

“Teddy’s still on vacation,” Larry continued, referring to the Youth Services librarian, “and I’d hate to cancel. The library needs to be valued as reliable.”

“Can we not call the local animal shelter and ask for a volunteer to bring a dog?” Octavius replied hopefully, fingers already typing in a query in the search engine. He faltered at Larry’s head shake.

“Not enough time. I already called and the shelter requires forty-eight hours’ notice. And anyone we do call needs to be vetted by our background check.”

“Right. Well, I’ll get those background files and see if there’s anyone with a farm or animal-related services included,” Octavius reached for the phone, lifting a hand in reply to Larry’s departing words of thanks. Ten minutes later he had access; five minutes later he had narrowed down all the volunteers into four options. The first two contacts turned him down. The third person, one Jedediah S. Smith, was proving difficult to lure to the phone. Octavius patiently held on, and was rewarded as the call was finally picked up.

“Mr. Jedediah Smith?” Octavius asked in response to one distinctively midwestern ‘hullo?”.

“Yup. Call me Jed, though. ‘Less you’re a telemarketer, in which case, don’t call me.”

“Um... no. My name is Octavius Gaius, and I’m a volunteer at…” Octavius identified his branch before continuing. “I was wondering if you had a dog?”

“More of a cat person, myself,” Jed drawled.

“I mean, does your farm have a dog? One’s that calm around children?” Octavius briefly explained the situation.

“That’s a hoot an’ a half. Hmm… Alrighty, I got ya covered. Be there lickety split!”

“Thank you ve--” Octavius spoke into the dial tone. Well. At least someone was helping. Larry would be happy, as would the children. Satisfied that his solution concluded his involvement, Octavius returned to monitoring the reference help desk email. He was just getting into pulling sources for a very specific question when the phone rang.

“Reference desk. How may I help you?”

“Hey. You gotta get down here. The man from the farm arrived.” Larry hung up the phone before Octavius could reply. What was with people and phones today?

With an inward sigh, Octavius left his research behind to cross the nonfiction stacks then down the stairs to the main entrance of the building. He could hear a low murmur of voices as he drew closer to the door, hushed excitement emitting from a small group of patrons gathered there. Larry was greeting Mr. Smith, and upon spotting Octavius, waved him over to join them.

“Oh! Here’s Octavius! Look what Mr. Smith brought us.” Larry’s face held his usual blank expression, but Octavius could tell his boss was excited.

If he wasn’t so distracted by the large behooved beast with antlers on the other end of the man’s lead line, Octavius might have better appreciated Mr. Smith’s twinkling blue eyes, crooked nose, and wide, proud grin. 

“That is not a dog,” Octavius sputtered. He could see the headlines now: _Library destroyed by wild animal_. Or maybe _Deer tramples Literary Club_. 

“Nope! This here’s a caribou. Most people call ‘em reindeers.” Jed patted the animal fondly. The caribou snorted then nosed his handler. Sadly there was no treat forthcoming.

“I said a dog,” Octavius repeated. _Volunteer gored by overgrown goat._

“I understood ya jus’ fine, amigo. I jus' thought with the holidays an’ all….” Jed motioned towards the beast who looked as inversely sedate as Octavius was incensed.

“We can rename the program ‘Reading with Rudolph,’ “ Larry chimed in.

“Or ‘Books with Blitzen’,” Jed added helpfully.

“As long as you’re happy,” Octavius said to Larry, then surveyed the reindeer suspiciously. “And as long as ‘Rudolph’ doesn’t bite anyone.” _Rabies run rampant after visit from reindeer._

“All animals bite. Even me. But I swear we’ll both be on our best behavior.” Jed held up his hand in a gesture of promise. Octavius might have felt reassured if not for the man’s accompanying wink. _Local man’s flirtation attempt includes cowboy hat._

“I doubt that...” Octavius felt his ears warming. Why, he had no idea. Sure, this man was sorta handsome, in a ruggedly unconcerned way. But he’d seen finer. Plus, something about that twinkle in Jed’s blue eyes made him wary. There resided the antithesis of calm decorum. It made Octavius’ heart race. (Trepidation, surely, not attraction. Boisterous men were **not** his type.)

He left Larry to escort Mr. Smith and his beast of burden alone, retreating back to the familiarity of the reference desk. He kept an ear out for incoming medical sirens or mass stampedes but neither occurred. A few hours passed easily before a distinct drawl made Octavius look up from his computer.

“Hey pardner.” Jedediah waited until he had the man’s attention before approaching the desk.

“Hi. Don’t tell me you lost your reindeer.” Octavius raised an eyebrow.

“I knew I was forgetting somethin’!” Jed snapped his fingers in mock-remembrance. “Naw. He’s still in the room, waiting on the last kid. Just thought I’d come over and let you know he took to listenin’ to them read like bees to honey. Everythin’’ worked out jus’ fine.”

“I am glad to hear that. Thank you again for helping us out. Even if you mistook a reindeer for a dog.”

“Hey! That’s kinda **rude** -olph ya!” Jedediah plucked a pen from the mug on the counter then fiddled with the reference desk plaque. Octavius made a face at the terrible pun.

“Don’t judge. We all got pieces of crazy in us, some bigger pieces than others.” Jed pointed the pen at the whiteboard easel by the reference desk. ‘20 December AD 69’ was written at the top in precise handwriting. ‘Roman emperor Aulus Vitellius is dragged to his death’ followed underneath. “Case in point. Not exactly a cheerful tidbit there, Gaius. Are ya tryin’ to depress the masses?”

“What makes you believe I wrote that?” Octavius challenged him. He had, but this guy couldn’t know that for certain.

“Yer Italian, ain’t ya? An’ ya look like the academic type that takes history seriously.”

“For your information, I find history to be fun and educational. For example, that ‘tidbit’,” Octavius pointed at the easel, “is a cautionary tale against laziness and incompetence. Ambition is a far better habit.”

 _Would it be too ambitious if I asked you for your number?_ The words were on the tip of Jed’s tongue when the phone rang. He tipped his hat as Octavius picked up the phone, soothing his disappointment with the apologetic look on the man’s face. Perhaps this was for the best; he certainly didn’t want to put the fella in an awkward position. Even if he was the most grumpiest, handsomest, and interestin’ fella Jed had laid eyes on. Something about those skeptical brown eyes and that stubborn chin did it for him.

Octavius watched Jedediah leave with a pang of disappointment. Really, he should be grateful that the man was respecting his volunteer time, but he couldn’t deny that he would have liked to converse with him more. Oh well. There was never a dull day at the library.

\----

Nearly a week later found Octavius thinking that there was never an easy day at work. Rather than sulking in his apartment on his day off, he went to the library, intent on browsing the stacks purely as a patron for once. There was a comfortable chair in a corner on the second floor with his name on it. A book, some coffee, and quiet: the perfect recipe for a relaxing day off. 

Too bad Mr. Daley stalked him down with a plea for help. Octavius was musing on a solution when he spotted a glimpse of black cowboy hat. He immediately recalled the mischievous Mr. Smith and for some reason found himself hoping for another glimpse to confirm the person’s identity. Why? Oh, perhaps Mr. Smith could help them out again…

Curious, Octavius abandoned his book and ventured into the stacks. The row that he had seen the cowboy hat peek from proved empty, as was the next row. The third row over, however, contained the person Octavius was hoping for, studying the back of a book.

“Hi. Jedediah, right? Do you remember me from last week?” Octavius lifted his hand in a slight wave as the man looked up, clearly startled. Jed recovered quickly and smiled brightly.

“Sure do. Ya got a face folks ain’t likely to forget. I mean, I think it’s n-nice looking,” Jed stumbled through his words, eyes growing wider with each passing syllable. “I mean, er… what’s up?”

“Thank you, I think.” Octavius suppressed a smile. _Cieli sopra_. “I was wondering… what kind of other animals do you have on your farm?”

“Why? Eager to have me around?” Jed leaned against the shelf, elbow knocking several books through to the other side. Neither man said a word as they clattered to the ground. An elderly person made a startled noise in the next row.

“Library’s haunted,” Jed whispered. Octavius couldn’t hold back a laugh. Anyone else would be beet-red from embarrassment. Not Jedediah Smith.

“You’re not very good at this, are you?” Octavius folded his arms across his chest. Very few people had ever outright flirted with him, and none so with less skill than this guy. He didn’t know why he found it endearing.

“Course I am! I made ya laugh, didn’t I? Here, lemme try again.” Jed cleared his throat. “Did it hurt when you fell from….” 

_Oh gods, not that cheesy pickup line._

“...your high horse?” 

“Absolutely terrible!” Octavius shook his head. Jed’s smile only widened, and suddenly the stacks seemed to shrink into a cozily intimate space. He found himself staring into those blue eyes, thoughts drifting. Wait! What was he doing?! “So. Going back to my original question….”

“The farm’s my folks’ place, but I can bring ya anything you want.” Jed shrugged.

“Thursday’s craft program cancelled on us and all the ideas people keep suggesting are outlandish,” Octavius replied. “I don’t have much experience with hands-on activities, so I thought perhaps we could utilize an animal event again.”

“Hm… Is it for the little ‘uns again?” Jed observed Octavius’ nod then tapped a boot thoughtfully. “What kinda trees you got out back?”

“I… what?” With a puzzled expression, Octavius followed Jed out of the stacks to the nearest window. He watched the blond man peek outside, squinting towards the ground.

“I got an idea. An’ you can use materials right here in the library. Well, outside of it. C’mon, follow me!”

It should not have been so easy to get swept up in Jed’s enthusiasm, but Octavius found himself traipsing down the stairs at the other man’s heels with only a detour to pick up his jacket and, at Jed’s request, a bag. Even though it was nearly afternoon, the temperature outside was still frosty. Octavius’ glasses fogged up as he left the warmth of the building. Jed laughed like a person who was lucky enough never to have worn glasses.

“What, precisely, are we doing out here aside from freezing to death?” Octavius threw the bag at Jed then removed his glasses to wipe them down.

“Collecting pinecones!” Jed bent down and picked one off the ground. “You can put peanut butter all over it and roll ‘em in birdseed. Then ya have an eco-friendly bird feeder! Kids will love to get their hands all dirty makin’ ‘em, and the birds’ll appreciate the snack.”

Octavius made a mental note to add a nut allergy warning on the flyer as he watched Jed shake the snow off the pinecone. “That…. is actually a nice idea.”

“I’m full of ‘em!”

“….Full of something, maybe.” Octavius grinned at Jed’s scoff. He reached down to pick up a pinecone, inspecting the ridges. “So were you truly browsing for a book back there, or is that normally how you pick up men?”

Jed nearly dropped the bag. “I ain’t shopping for a date at the library! Bookish folk don’t usually take a liking to people like me… But yeah… I was looking at travel books an’ tryin’ to pick the next place I want to visit.”

They began to discuss traveling, both men comparing places they had visited and hoped to visit in the future. Conversation flowed easily as they searched for pinecones half-buried in the snow. Octavius pulled his jacket tighter around his frame, grateful for its warmth, even as his bare fingers grew steadily colder with each find.

“Here.” A brown glove was suddenly shoved into Octavius' numb hands. He thanked Jed with surprise, touched at the gesture even as he wondered at the cowboy observing his discomfort. He did not like to display any weakness. 

“Ain’t nothing. Works out well, you being a righty and me a lefty,” Jed shuffled off to check under a large tree. With each handful of pinecones gathered, the two drew together, sharing the bag whilst stealing little glances at each other.

“Jedediah?”

“Yeah, Octopus?”

Octavius automatically corrected Jed, fully knowing he had teased him on purpose. “Would you like to go get some coffee after this?”

“As in a date?” Jed’s eyes were focused on the latest pinecone, but his posture betrayed him.

“Yes. Coffee date, then to a store to pick up bird seed and peanut butter.”

Jed coughed then adjusted his hat. “I’d like that.”

“The coffee or the date?” Octavius smiled. As Jed pretended to ponder, he shook his head. “Nevermind! I’ll take that yes…”

This wasn't how Octavius thought his day off would go, but it was much, much better.


End file.
